The health chief said the HA would send a delegation to certain medical colleges in the UK, where many Hong Kong students are studying, to lure the younger doctors to return to Hong Kong to address the current drain of the medical workforce in the city.

"The UK will be our first stop, and our team will go to further places for recruitment," Lo said, noting the government would provide accommodations and financial assistance for those returning to Hong Kong to work.

According to the statistics from the HA last year, the headcount of doctors has reduced by 8.1 percent, with the number of nurses dropping 10.7 percent by last October.